A story comes down to us from the ancient Olympic games in Greece. After all the seats in the stadium had been filled, a feeble old man came in. As he ambled past where the Athenians sat, they laughed at him. But when he approached the section where the Spartans were sitting, the men rose as one to offer him their seat. Upon seeing this act of respect, the Athenians were so moved that they broke into applause.
“Ah,” said the old man, “the Athenians admire courtesy, but the Spartans practice it.”